Oilers GM: Bruins haven’t made offer for top pick

As rumors swirl regarding what the Bruins may or may not be offering Steve Tambellini in exchange for the first overall pick in this month’s NHL draft, the Oilers general manager confirmed Thursday that he has spoken to his Boston counterpart in Peter Chiarelli — just not about the pick.

‘Last time I talked to Peter was the general managers’ meetings in Philly [between Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup finals]. Peter hasn’t thrown any names at me. No proposals. But I’m all ears,’ Tambellini told the Edmonton Journal.

‘I don’t know what it take to give up the first pick overall in this year’s draft. I know there will be proposals and I’m looking forward to seeing what they might be, but I don’t know if I would recommend to [Oilers president of hockey operations] Kevin (Lowe) or our ownership that we should move the first pick,’ Tambellini told the paper.

Hall of Fame writer Jim Matheson of the Journal writes in the report that Tembellini is “almost surely not giving up the first pick.” The Oilers brought highly coveted Windsor Spitfires left wing and anticipated top pick Taylor Hall in on Wednesday and were set to make him available to the media shortly after. If a trade isn’t made, the Bruins, who pick second, will take whomever is left between Hall and Plymouth Whalers center Tyler Seguin. Tambellini insists the team has yet to settle on who they will select.

‘I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here … There’s lots of reasons to go either way,’ Tambellini told the paper. ‘But it’s getting clearer as to what may be separating the players. We’re not making our final decision until the very end. We’ve told both kids we’re going to do that.’

The Bruins have already met with both Hall and Seguin and have ammunition for a trade in the form of the 15th and 32nd overall picks, as well as two picks in each of the first two rounds of the 2011 draft.